Representatives from Italy's fresh produce industry have spent the past few days meeting retail buyers in South Korea, Asiafruit has learned.
The trade mission, which includes several of Italy's leading fresh produce export companies, was organised by research and marketing agency Centro Servizi Ortofrutticoli (CSO) and follows the Asian country's decision last April to open its market to imported Italian kiwifruit.
According to Federico Milanese, head of international development at CSO, the visit has proved very positive and is already yielding its first results.
'We met with fresh produce buyers from E-mart, Korea's main retail chain with 40 per cent of the national market,' said Milanese.
'There is a lot of interest here for Italian kiwifruit,' he continued. 'Currently, E-mart only imports from Chile and New Zealand, but the prospects for our companies are vey good.'
CSO's trade mission is set to continue with a special conference, where the group's members will deliver presentations to several of Korea's principal importers.
The delegation will then proceed to attend Asia's two major fresh produce industry meetings, conference and networking event Asiafruit Congress and trade exhibition Asia Fruit Logistica, which take place on 5-7 September at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong.
At the exhibition, CSO is poised to unveil a new national brand for Italy's fruit and vegetables which it hopes will raise the profile of its export products on international markets.
South Korea produced around 14,700 tonnes of kiwifruit last year, according to CSO.
